King's College London and 36 more universities sign charter on acamedic freedom

King's College London, along with 36 other universities, have signed the Magna Charta Universitatum (MCU), a set of principles on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. The step takes the total number of signatories to over 1,000.

The MCU was developed in 1988 and is designed to be a guideline for the governance of universities. It was originally signed by 388 universities and was renewed in 2020 in the context of contemporary challenges.

The signing ceremony on 13/11/2025 was part of the anniversary of the MCU 2020 hosted by King's College.

Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor and President of King’s College London, said: "By signing the Magna Charta Universitatum, King’s reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the fundamental values that underpin higher education globally - academic freedom, institutional autonomy and the pursuit of truth. In a time when universities face growing external pressures, joining this global community sends a clear message that our mission remains unchanged: to produce, transmit and disseminate knowledge as a public good, and that universities' covenant…